"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room is the greatest arsenal we could have - arm yourselves!" - The Doctor in "Tooth and Claw"

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Contract? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Contract!

So, again, I've become far too lazy to update this blog, but then again, I've been waiting on final confirmation on my job search. Last Monday, I was offered the position I had hoped for, to be a cruise ship librarian. However, the deed is not complete until I've received the 10-month contract from my new employer. It's been a week now and I've yet to receive it. Once I've read it and signed it, my new employer will have, essentially, total possession of me until the end of the year. My tenure is supposed to begin sometime in March. The cruises will take me from Florida to San Diego via the Panama Canal, up to Alaska during the summer, and then to Hawaii, Tahiti, and even down to Peru at one point when the weather cools off again.

I've been lucky because I have been able to trade messages with another librarian with the same cruise line and she's been able to give me pointers about what to pack, what a typical work day looks like, et cetera. She said it took about a week or so to get her contract as well, so I know waiting this long is pretty typical. After I've signed my contract, I need to make appointments to do a full physical exam including a CBC, chest x-ray, and a full medical history. I also have to visit the dentist, order my uniform, and make up a shopping list of what I need for the next ten months. Furthermore, I need to pack up my entire life, find a sub-leaser for my apartment, get a storage unit, and move everything out.

Today, I am being featured on INALJ as a Success Story, which is poignant especially since I first saw the job advertisement on INALJ's Daily Digest. Seriously, if you are a librarian, subscribe to the Daily Digest. It is the single best place to find library jobs. I had volunteered to be the Missouri editor for the site, but had to resign before I even began since cruise ships and the internet do not mix very well. Plus, it costs an arm and a leg to access the internet from cruise ships. Hopefully, one day, the internet will be a lot more accessible from out in the middle of the ocean than it is now.

Okay, I'll try to get back on here again soon to talk more about getting my life in order for my first post-graduation library position. If you came to this blog for the first time after seeing my INALJ feature, I'm sorry this blog isn't the best, but I hope you come back to read about my adventures on the high seas. If I see Captain Jack Sparrow, I'll let you know!